I love a chopped wedge salad! All the classic flavors of a wedge: iceberg, tomatoes, crispy bacon and chives with a wonderful blue cheese vinaigrette. Super delicious and so easy to make!
Summer salad time!
This chopped wedge salad has all the flavors of a traditional wedge salad, all chopped up and tossed in an incredible blue cheese dressing. It’s so crunchy and crisp.
Chopped salads are the salads that made me like salads. It’s the truth! There is just something about being about to get a bite of EVERYTHING on that one fork. It’s so satisfying. Chopped salads usually have a ton of texture and this is no different.
At the same time, it’s super simple. Iceberg, tomatoes, bacon, blue cheese. That’s really it! Sure, we have a dressing and some fresh herbs, but those are the big ingredients. The main ones.
Now, I know that the classic wedge salad had creamy blue cheese dressing.
BUT. I don’t love creamy dressing to begin with. And in the summer, it just seems way too… heavy and hot.
It’s no secret that I need some tangy, briney vinegar in my life. It’s my absolute favorite flavor combo and homemade salad dressings are my life.
So! I made my blue cheese vinaigrette for this instead. It is PERFECT. Oh my word.
Truly truly perfect.
First of all, the dressing has blue cheese crumbles IN it, so as it gets shaked and mixed up, it does take on a slightly creamy texture. Almost like emulsified. Second, it has fresh herbs, which are so nice and refreshing in the summer.
The vinaigrette keeps the salad feeling a little lighter. It also keeps the bacon crisp and the iceberg crisp as well! It’s not drenched in a creamy dressing which gives it a little bit of staying power. Plus – the flavor. Ohhhh the flavor.
I am a nut and could probably drink this dressing. At least take a spoonful of it!
The nice thing about this chopped salad is that you don’t have to do a ton of work to get those even sized pieces. The bacon is already in crumbles. The iceberg falls apart as you slice. The tomatoes are really the only ingredient that takes some chopping work: quarter or halve them depending on their size.
Everything goes into one bowl, tossed in the dressing and boom! It’s done.
On a super hot day, I could eat this for dinner. It’s a great BBQ salad. Also an excellent side salad or a potluck dish – just drizzle on the dressing right before serving.
P.S. the vinaigrette makes a little extra, and you can use it on EVERYTHING. Chicken, steak, veggies, pasta salads, grilled bread – the works.
Chopped Wedge Salad
Chopped Wedge Salad
I love a chopped wedge salad! All the classic flavors of a wedge: iceberg, tomatoes, crispy bacon and chives with a wonderful blue cheese vinaigrette. Super delicious and so easy to make!
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Heat the chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the bacon is crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain excess grease.
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Chop up the head of iceberg lettuce and place it in a bowl. Toss with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the cherry tomatoes, bacon and blue cheese. Drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the dressing and toss. Sprinkle on the fresh chives.
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Serve with extra dressing for drizzling!
blue cheese vinaigrette
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Whisk together the vinegar, garlic, chives, honey and dijon. Stream in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Stir in the blue cheese. This stays great in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
I could live in there.
